Grading device



April 1932- I I .v 1.. DE MOSS 1,855,011

' GRADING DEVICE Filed Mrch 11. 1929 "atented Apr.- 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ZIEONARD 1015- M088,

OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOB TO SWIFT AND COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLDN'OIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS GRADING DEVICE Application filed larch 11,

This invention relates to grading devices tlld the like and is illustrated herein as em- )odied in a device suitable for use in gradng hog casings or other similar elongated ubula-r bodies according to their widthwise limensions.

It is customary today in gradinghog casngs in packing plants for each workman to :ut in a bar of metal a series of notches corresponding in width to the diameter of the itandard grades of casings, and to aflix the piece to the side of the work bench. In use, she operator takes a casing from the vat, .nflates the casing with water for a distance )f perhaps three feet and determines the grade of the casing by fitting it into the lotches in the metal bar. The water is passed through the entire casing in this manner, and as the casing varies in diameter the workman severs the casing to separate the grades according to the variations in diameter. By reason of' the fact that the notched openings in the metal bar are placed side by side, it is necessary for the workman in grading'a casing to insert the easing into each of the notches until an approximate fit is made with the casing, and this trial and error method of grading the casings is tedious and inconvenient.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved grading device which will not necessitate the insertion of the casing into a number of isolated notches and will permit casings to be graded with greater speed and accuracy than has heretofore been obtained.

.An important feature of the present invention which is conducive to the accomplishment of the recited object consists in theprovision of a casing grading device having a pluralityof members associated therewith in such a manner as to form a series of alined gauge openings. By means of such a provision the casing can be drawn directly through all of the notches simultaneously, and the workman can determine more easily and accurately into which grade a given portion of the casing falls.

In the use of the grading device, it is contemplated having the casing filled with a sui t- 1989. Serial No. 845,959. able fluid in order that its diameter-may be easily measured, and in order to p"revent the escape of the fluid from the casing. Another important feature of the present invention consists in providing the gradin device with means for applying pressure to t e outer wall of the casing to bring the inner walls into firm engagement with one another whereby a seal is obtained which prevents the escape of fluid. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the pressure applying means is disclosed in the form of a resilient gate-way which applies yielding pressure to the outer wall of the casing, the amount of such pressure being suflicient to prevent the escape of fluid through that portion of the casing disposed within the gate-way, but insufficient to interfere with the proper feeding of the casing through the gate-way.

' Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification in the light ofthe accompanying'drawings in which there is shown a view n perspective of a grading a central opening, or slot, 16 and adjacent to thls slot are mounted a plurality of transversely alined pairs of vertical guides 18, 18; it being observed that" the guide members located at the extremit of the board adjacent to the knife hol er are more widely separated than the remainder of the guides,

and that the balance of the guides are separated from one another successively less and less to form a plurality of alined and graduated openings. Thus, each pair of the transversely alined vertical guides comprises a v gauge of a predetermined opening, and all of the gauges takentogether form a series of alined openings of'successively varying, cross-sectional areas.

By means of the provision described the- -vention contemplates the employment of a gate-way, illustrated herein in the form of an upwardly extending and slightly inclined end 20 formed integrally with the base plate 10 and a cooperating plate member 22 adapted to be secured to the end by means of suitable fastenings 24. Both the end member 20 and the cooperating plate 22 are formed with centrally arranged V-shaped openings, or gate-ways, indicated generally by the reference numeral 26, which are adapted to be brought into registration with one another when the two parts are properly assembled.

In the use of the grading device the hog cas-- ing is fed first through the V-shaped opening and thence across the grading board, and to the end of preventing escape of the fluid from the casing there is provided a gate, or valve,

composedof a thin sheet, or a plurality of sheets, of rubber interposed between the upwardly extending end 20 of the base plate 10 and the cooperating plate 22. The rubber sheet is split heightwise in a line bisecting the V-shaped'opening 26 to form a closure for the latter named opening. As illustrated, the rubber gate-way is formed in such a manner that the edges thereof located at the top of the V-shaped opening 26' project slightly past one another and abut to form a joint 28.

Thus, in use, as the casing is fed through the V-shaped opening, the rubber gate grasps the casing and holds its opposite sides firmly against one another to prevent the rearward passage of the water through the gate, but the pressure thus applied is insufiicient to interfere with the feeding of the casing across the grading device. Hence, from'so much of the description as has already been given, it will be understood that the casing may be fed through the gate-way and across the grading board between the guides or gauges 18 without permitting the rearward escape of water from the casing, whereby an accurate mode of measurement is provided.

As illustrated herein, the grading device is provided with a plurality of guide ways 30, 32 leading from opposite sides of the gateway 26 to the nearest members 18, 18, and as shown in the drawings, the guideways com prise inverted U-shaped troughs.

Although the invention has been illustrai ed herein as embodied in a particular form 0 grading device having particular guide: gate-ways, gauges and the like of certai forms, it is to be appreciated thatvariatior and modifications may be made in the ir vented design from time to time without d( partin from the true scope of the inventio as set orth in the appended claims, and it i also to be understood that although the inver tion has been described herein with particula reference to measuring hog casings, the ir vention contemplates employment in measul ing other similar elongated tubular bodie or material.

Having thus described my invention, whs I claim as new and desire to secure by Unite States Letters Patent, is: r

1. A hog casing grading device compri: ing, in combination, a base plate, and a plr rality of vertically extending membei grouped in pairs and mounted on said has plate, in such a manner that the members c each pair are separated from one another t form a gauge opening, and the members c the various pairs are separated from one a! other by difl'erent distances to form a serir of gauge openings of diflerent sizes an means associated therewith for guidin hog casings through said openings compri: ing cooperating opposed members providin a feeding slit disposed in alignment with sai gauge openings.

2. A hog casing grading device, compri: ing, in combination, an approximately re tangular base plate, a'plurality of vertical] extending members arranged along the 101 gitudinal center line of the base plate, sai members being grouped in pairs with tl members in each pair spaced apart andtran: versely al'ined with respect to the longitud nal center line, the spaces between the succe: sive aligned members being of gradual] changing area, whereby there is provided base plate having a series of gauge opening of graduated size, and means associated then with for guiding hog casings through sai openings, comprising cooperating oppose members providing a feeding slit disposed i alignment with said gauge openings.

3. A device for use in grading a fluid fille hog casing, comprising, in combination, gauging portion, and means associated then with for pressing the opposite inner sic walls of the casing firmly against one anoth while passing therethrough to prevent tl escape of the fluid from the casing, sai means being located in the path of feed said casing to said gauging portion and a the entering end thereof.

4. A device for use in grading a fluid fille hog casing, comprising, in combination,

gauging portion, and resilient means asso- I ciated therewith for pressing the opposite inner side walls of the casin firmly against one another while passin t erethrough to prevent the escape of the uid from the easmg, said means being located in the path of feed of said casing to said gauging portion and at the entering end thereof.

5. A device for use in grading a fluid filled hog casing, comprising, in combination, a gauging portion, and a resilient ateway comprising a plurality of rubber edges arranged to abut one another and to engage the outer wall of the fluid filled casing to deform the casing and prevent the escape of fluid therefrom.

6. A devicefor use in grading a fluid filled hog casing, comprising, in combination, a

gauging portion, casing contacting means 10- cated in the path of feed of the casing to said gauging portion for applying pressure to the casin wall to prevent the escape of fluid there rom, and means for guiding the casing from the pressure applying means to the gauging portion of the grading device.

I 7 Adevice'for use in grading a fluid filled hog casing, comprising, in combination, a

plurality of vertically extending members.

so arranged as to present a series of alined graduated gauge openings, and a resilient gateway associated therewith and adapted to of fluid from the casing rch, 1929. i

LEONARD DE 'MOSS. 

